Kempsey vs Taree

Kempsey and Taree are both large regional areas in New South Wales. A key difference is that Kempsey is more accessible to basic services, with 48.8% of homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries and 34.2% near health services, compared to 42.3% and 22.1% in Taree. Among First Nations residents, those in Kempsey are noticeably older, with a typical age of 25 compared to 21 in Taree. This group also faces more challenges in Kempsey, where the unemployment rate is well higher at 18.7% against 13.8% in Taree.

These two areas have seen the gap in First Nations Year 12 completion stay fairly steady, with Taree remaining well higher at 29.1% compared to 24.6% in Kempsey. Everyday life is similar in both places, as both are mostly car-dependent and have nearly the same share of homes within walking distance of parks and public transport. They also share very similar First Nations household incomes, both hovering around $1,200.